Lego pilots Braille Bricks for visually impaired children

The Lego Group, Lego Foundation and several blind associations have joined forces to launch a pilot of Lego Braille Bricks.

The project was unveiled at the Sustainable Brands Conference in Paris this month after being proposed to the Lego Foundation by Danish and Brazilian blind associations.

The first prototypes have been tested in the UK, Denmark, Norway and Brazil and have been moulded with the number of studs used for letters and numbers in the Braille alphabet.

Treasurer of the European Blind Union Philippe Chazal said: ‘With thousands of audiobooks and computer programs now available, fewer kids are learning to read Braille. This is particularly critical when we know that Braille users often are more independent, have a higher level of education and better employment opportunities. We strongly believe LEGO Braille Bricks can help boost the level of interest in learning Braille, so we’re thrilled that the LEGO Foundation is making it possible to further this concept and bring it to children around the world.’